Spring link coupling for dog leads, baby harness or the like



0a. 21, 1952 TOWNS 2,614,834

SPRING LINK COUPLING FOR DOG LEADS, BABY HARNESS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 26, 1950 FIG. 5

u mi R, I" /3 25 wig- Q g5 22 I M! 1+: m 5% 2o *L $61M l4 FIG.5. FIG.6. /%i

INVENTOR HAROLD TOMKINS BY 004 my ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED,

5 m LINK oommmo son moo nanxnmnnssoamnorlms Harold 'rmkins. when; England, 'asslgnor to lltelianceiilet Supply -Inc., New Yomwxm, a

corporation of lfiewlYorka Application 0ctober26, 195,0,Seria1No, 192,175

In-GrcatBrituin N member '17, 1949 r This invention relates to improrements in spring couplings SE01 use in connection with dog leads or leashes, :baby harness, the like. It is known to interpose laeiwmenthe .catch forwattachmentto-the dog .collar or harnessand vision of a spring link oouplinghccmposed $555! 3015mm, (01; mean 'tangular, open oramevt'ork having "spaced longitudinal and parallel side arms M and a top transverse arm 15. Thefilongitudinal side arms integral with 1 an enlangedhoss 1'6 which extends it of said slide member 12 are bowed outwardly at. their bottom ends, as shown Fig; :6 and are acmSS :the bottom ofslide member 12; After tiaily oi twopar-ts bothof :which ma estamned ortpressedftomqflatmetal :shectsor sectionsl longitudinal=-wallsuls8 and lib in the initial torgether with an ordinary coil springrso that the coupling is made of a Iewrartswhich ar easily assembled, affordin sease and economy of manufacture. l

, Still another object of theinventiomis to; provide a spring link coupling of the character described which is sturdy, heat in appearance, and

eflieientin operation. i l l l Gther objects and advantages of the invention will hereadily apparent in the course or the following specification andirolaims when taken in connection with the: accompanying drawings;

in which: y l Fig. l isarfrontelevational viewoizthespring linkreoupling oi the invention :in its normal re tractedvnosition, showingone .end of saidwcoupling attached-to a strap or leash, and *theother end of the coupling attached to a mciampwhic'hl is adapted to be: connected to: a dog collar, or

theflike; i

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of "the" spring link coupling alone, showingsaidcoupling-:inits l 40 Fig,3 is a vertical section asstaken alongline' extended position;

3--3 of Fig. 2, butshowing thespring link coupling in its retractedposition ofiFig 1-; r

Fig. 4 ism-a horizontal section along-line 4-4 of Fig, 2; l I

r the initial formation of said slideinemberdi, the boss 161s turned hywa twisting operation through an angle of 90, so' that its planets pen pendicul'ar to thei longitudinal of slide mem ber l2, as shown in Fig. 6. The boss l6 contains a central hole or bore 11. 1 l

I The body member or housing il lemon-med ofia single blank or iength-of sheet metal which iswbent or doubled over into a substantial 41-- shape; as shown in 55, "with spaced {parallel} nation of the body member M, the iength of sheet metal is stamped or pressed into east,

.elongated ;rectangular strip having a central'por' tion of reduced width which forms the neck 21! of body member M. l The said rlatstrip hasten elongated longitudinal slot ill on each side of,

- eachhfreeend of the 'fiatstrip. vi

The width of the neck portion 20 of-the flat metal stripis approximately equal to" the; distance lmetvvrsen the spaced longitudinal side arms ot slide member I 2; In assembling the spring link coupling to, the sllde'mem'ber I2 is mounted upon the neck portion-2 0ml the stampedfor pressedmetal'strip, and said stripis bent arrowed upon itself atsald neck portion 250; so tha't its two "halves form the spaced parallel walls 1sand M-of the bod-y member I The magi;

l l l v 45 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the body mom born or housingof the ocuplingg and t Fig. dis a perspective view oi. beroI the coupling.

'Referringin. detail to the drawings;

the slide mem the spring tudinal slots 21, in this assembled position of walls and [8; are al-i-ned and in registry:

.between the spaced longitudinal walls is and .244! of the body: member H, "said spring liiwalisd link coupling ,lfl genera'lly comprisesaaibody membet or housing 11:.aslide memberfl, anda coiled compression Spring L3. r

The slide member I! is tor-med, preferabl by stamping or pressing, as a substantlally'recq H extending" through the slide member l2 between A8 is clearly shown in Fig. 3, the top and bottom ends of spring l3 are confined by the respective top iand' bottom edges of the alined longitudinaislots :21! ot' body member |.-=l. A part'of-the The longitudinal walls I8 and I9 of the body member II are bent inwardly immediately above the respective longitudinal slots 2I, asindicated at 24, to bring the free ends of the U'-shaped' body member I I together into alined flush abutment, with the square apertures 23 in registry.

The extreme ends of the body member II are' encased by a split cylindrical sleeve .25 which serves to hold the longitudinal walls I8 and I9] of body member II in parallel disposition, and

also serves as a roller around which the end of a leather strap 26, or the like, may be looped.

It is to be noted that in the normal assembled position of the spring link coupling I 0, the spring I3 is expanded ;betweenv the upper and lower edges of the alined longitudinal slots 2|, the top of said spring I3 biasingthe top transverse arm I 5 of the slide member I2 against the inner faces of the inwardly bent portions 24 of the body member walls I8 and I9,'as shown in Fig. 3. The slide member I2 is thus yieldably held in its normal retracted position in which the enlarged boss I6 is proximate to the neck 20 of body member II.-

When the boss I6 of slide member I2 is moved downwardly or away from the body member II, as shown in Fig. 2, the spring I3 is compressed between the top transverse arm I5 of slide member I2-and the bottom edges of the longitudinal slots 2 I ,of body member I I. When the downward or outward pressure on slide member I2 is released, the tension-ofthe compressed spring I3- returns'the slide member I2 to its'normal re,-: tractedpositionof Fig; 1. I

The hole or bore I! in the enlarged boss. I6 is adapted to receive, the usual swivel hook or ring 26. The usual clamp or catch 21 is coupled to the hook or .ring 26, as by a link 28. The clamp or catch 21 is adapted to be attached to a dog collar or the like in the well-known manner. Should thedog suddenly pull sharply against the lead or leash, or should it become necessary for the owner to tug sharply on the strap 28, the spring link coupling I 0 acts as a shock absorber which prevents injuryto the dog. I

The periphery of the coiled compression spring I3 preferably does not-protrude beyond-theinclined fianges22, and the widths of the body member walls Is and I9 are preferably equal to the width of slide member I2, with the result thata very neat and smoothly-operating spring link coupling I0 is achieved. I

The spring linkcoupling II] has been described herein, and is' defined in the claims as being in the upright or. vertical position shown in the drawings, solely for convenience, it being understood that saidcoupling I 0 may be used horizontally, inclined, or in any other position.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous additions, changes, and omissions may be, made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. I What is claimed is:

1. Aspring link coupling comprising a sub-.. stantially rectangular, flat open-frame slide,

member havingacentral opening; a flat, hollow,

4 substantially rectangular body member, and a coiled compression spring, said body member being formed of a single fiat strip of sheet metal of elongated rectangular shape having a pair of ,windows stamped therein equidistant from the central; lateral axis of said strip, said strip being bent upon itself at a fold' along its central lateral axis to provide a pair of spaced, parallel and aimed front and rear longitudinal walls in which 7 said windows are I in registry, open sides, and a'closed bottom neck portion defined by said fold, the top portions of said longitudinal walls being "bent inwardly in flush abutment with each other fa closed bottom neck portion defined by said fold,

' the top portions of said longitudinal walls being spaced apart a sufficient distance to form a central recess in said body member of sufiicient width to house said slide member, said recess extending continuously from the top wall to the bottom neck portion of said body member, said neck portionlbeing of reduced width relative to the longitudinal walls, said slide member being mounted for longitudinal sliding movement within said body member with the bottom end of said slide member located exteriorly of said body .member, said spring being also mounted in said body member between the top and bottom edges of the respective windows with a portion of said spring protruding through said windows, said spring extending through the central opening of said slide member and normally urging said slide member to a retracted position within said body member in which the lower end of said slide member is proximate-to the neck portion of said body member, said spring being positioned tobe compressed by said slide member when the latter is slid away from its retracted position.

2. A springlink coupling comprising a substantially rectangular, fiat, open-frame slide member having a central opening, a substantially rectangular body member, and a coiled compression spring, said body member being formed of a single flat strip of sheet metal of elongated rectangular shape having a cut-out mounting opening at each of its ends and equidistant therefrom, and respective pairof stamped-out panels pressed outwardly from said strip to define a pair of apertures equidistant from the central lat- (p eral axis of said body member, said strip being bent upon itself at a fold along its central lateral axis to "provide apair of spaced, parallel and alined planar. front and rear walls defining a recess therebetween, the apertures and mounting p openingsof said walls being in respective registry,

said body'member having a closed bottom neck portion defined by said fold, said neck portion being of reduced width relative to the width of said longitudinal walls, the top portions of said longitudinal walls being bent inwardly in flush abutment with each other in the vicinity of said registering mounting openings and being secured together to form a closed top wall of said body member; said slide member being mounted for longitudinal sliding movement within the recess of said body member with the neckportion located within" the central opening of said slide member and serving as a guide for the longitudinal movement of said slide member, the bottom end of said slide member being located exteriorly of said body member, the stamped out panels of said'longitudinal walls being outwardly bent in an ,arcuate shape and'cooperatingwith each other and with said apertures to define an interrupted, substantially cylindrical housing, said spring beingyjseated in said housing between the top and bottom edges of said apertures, said spring being also located Within the central recess of said slide member to a retracted position within said body member in which the lower end of said slide member is proximate to the neck portion of said body member.

3. A spring link coupling for attaching a leash to a dog collar or the like, said coupling comprising a substantially rectangular, flat, openframe slide member having a central opening and a bottom end carrying means for releasable attachment thereof to said dog collar, a substantially rectangular body member, and a coiled compression spring, said body member being formed of a single flat strip of sheet metal of elongated rectangular shape having a cut-out opening at each of its ends and equidistant therefrom, and a pair of stamped-out apertures equidistant from the central lateral axis of said body member, each of said apertures being bordered by a pair of longitudinally-extending arcuate pressed-out flanges, said strip being bent upon itself at a fold along its central lateral axis to provide a pair of spaced, parallel and alined front and rear longitudinal walls defining a recess therebetween, the openings and apertures in said walls being in respective registry, open sides, and a closed bottom neck portion defined by said fold and being of reduced width relative to the width of said longitudinal walls, the top portions of said longitudinal walls being bent inwardly in flush abutment with each other in the vicinity 01 said registering openings, said body portion 6 having a cylindrical hollow roller engirdling the top edges of said longitudinal walls above said openings, to secure the top portions of said longitudinal walls together and also to provide means for pivotable attachment of said leash, said slide member being mounted for longitudinal sliding movement within the recess of said body member with the neck portion located within the central opening of said slide member, and the bottom end of said slide member located exteriorly of said body member, the arcuate flanges of said apertures projecting outside the body portion and cooperating with said apertures to define an interrupted, substantially cylindrical housing, said spring being located in said housing between the top and bottom edges of said apertures and abutting the top of said slide member to urge said slide member to a retracted position within said body member in which position the lower end of said slide member is proximate to the neck portion of said body member.

1 HAROLD TOMKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Pagel Mar. 20, 1923 

